Head of State hosts Commonwealth Secretary

His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Ta’isi Efi Head of State of Samoa Remarks at Dinner for the Commonwealth Secretary General Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland QC at Tuaefu

Madam Secretary, thank you for coming to dinner tonight.

I feel a bit guilty that I am taking you away from the ladies.

But when I was told that you were coming to Samoa, I wanted an opportunity to share more conversation with you and in a less formal setting, one more conducive to freer discussion.

This is one of the perks of my role and although I try not to exploit it too often, sometimes, like tonight, I succumb.

I know you are a proud Dominican and know intimately both the challenges and the joys of living on a small island.

As such I know you can also appreciate being part of a small island state, like ours. To use your words, you have shown us that someone considered invisible can well grow up to be invincible.

By your example small island nations and peoples like ours, and especially our young girls, can dream dreams about leading the world and know that it need not be fantasy, that with hard work and perseverance it can indeed become reality.

I am deeply heartened by your stance on cultural diversity and the rule of law in the commonwealth. Both augurs well for the coming together, in meaningful ways, of our indigenous and common law jurisprudence.

I hope you will have opportunity to speak with everyone here tonight and they with you. The most important thing in opportunities like this is to genuinely share.

I have a small gift to give you as a token of our thanks for this opportunity. God bless.